Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

It's time for Friday Sports Kick-off with Jason Pine and Adam Cooper joining Nick on the show. Starting with The Hurricanes game tonight against the Crusaders in Christchurch.  With many injuries in the team, are the panel concerned about a loss of the game and momentum towards the final? And the incredible story of Tim Payne who yesterday had under 5,000 followers, has gone viral and just cr...

It's Politics Thursday and it's Budget Day, Nick is joined by Labour MP Ginny Andersen and National MP for Otaki Tim Costley. The panel talk the political issues of the week - starting with the budget due for release at 2pm today.  Costley says it's certainly no lolly scramble, but it is a budget for real Kiwis. Andersen shares her worries for the people who need support most - particularly f...

The New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa (NZPAA) opened earlier this year out in Upper Hutt, and yesterday Nick was able to tour around the new sports charter school. Follow Nick as he goes through the facilities and classes and speaks with CEO Karen van Gemeren, Principal Ryan Clark and some of the students. Students Emily and Ben share how their experience has been here, compared to their ol...

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins joins Nick Mills in the studio, on the eve of one of the biggest days in the political year: Budget Day. With the budget looming, Nick asks if we can finally expect policy from Labour for this coming election. Hipkins shares his predictions for the budget, Labour's priorities and his thoughts on the pre-budget announcements so far.  With the 8700 jobs cut announcem...

Wellington City Council has proposed their lowest rates rise since 2020, at 5.8%. Deputy Mayor of Wellington Ben McNulty joins the show to discuss the news and how the council managed to cut the rise down from 7.4%, after an already substantial decrease from the last prediction. Nick asks how this adds up with the inclusion of separate water bills and how this compares to Auckland. McNulty says th...

Its Music Time and the last week of NZ Music Month! Nick and James continue to debate the greatest New Zealand singles of the 1980s and 90s. Give big ups to a New Zealand record label who discovered one of our biggest international success stories and cover off all the happenings of gigs you can attend before the end of May! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined in the studio by Rewiring Aotearoa CE Mike Casey, the company aims to electrify NZ. The government announced yesterday they would fund a $1.2 billion loan scheme to help large businesses transfer away from gas to renewable energy. Casey is calling for this to expand to everyday people - households and small businesses. He shares his own experience electrifying his own orchid. ...

Wellington's Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) is facing an unpredictable future, as the Wellington City Council cuts their funding by 60%. The council announced CAB will go from receiving around $230,000 to $100,000.  CAB General Manager Carin Sundstedt joins Nick Mills on the show to discuss the impact this will cause to not only CAB but all of Wellington, The service helped around 11,000 people...

An ambulance for an unconscious man on Cuba St was rejected by emergency services. Two separate calls were made by bystanders to 111. But when the man was identified and recognised by Wellington Free Ambulance, they told the callers he was a "frequent caller" and informed them no paramedics would be sent.  An ambulance was eventually called after two police officers arrived to the scene radio...

This week for Friday Faceoff, Nick Mills is joined by Labour MP for Ōhāriu Greg O'Connor and Political Commentator Ben Thomas. Our panel faceoff over the future of Wellington. As 8700 jobs cuts are coming the public sector's way Wellington needs to swerve. O'Connor and Thomas analyse the cuts, how we got here and how we can bounce back as a city. And they debate Nicola Willis' suggestion much of t...

Legendary political journalist and broadcaster Barry Soper joins Nick Mills in the studio for the launch of his new book 'One Last Question, Prime Minister.' Soper takes your calls and Nick's questions about his time with the 12 Prime Ministers he has observed during his career.  Hear about his experiences in Parliament, including the 2022 Wellington protest, changes over his career and insig...

It's time for Friday Sport's Kick-off, Nick is joined in the studio by our resident ZB sports gurus Jason Pine and Adam Cooper. Starting with the Hurricanes, who play the Highlanders this Saturday - kick-off is 7.05pm. The crew talk our (high)  chances of a win. And the success of Hurricanes assistant coach Jamie Mackintosh - can they keep him? Plus, the Wellington Saint's loss against the So...

For Politics Thursday this week Nick Mills is joined by National Minister Tama Potaka and Labour MP Ayesha Verrall. The panel starts with the biggest news of the week - 8700 public service jobs will be gone by 2029. They discuss what this means for our city? Has anywhere been hit as hard as Wellington? Nicola Willis says her office is experimenting with artificial intelligence, Nick asks our panel...

EDITORIAL: If you listened yesterday, you heard it coming.   We knew the Government was preparing to swing the axe again through the public service.   What we didn’t know was just how deep the cuts were going to be.  Now we know.  Nearly 9,000 public sector jobs gone by 2029.   A 14 percent reduction.   Public service numbers down from just over 63,000 to around 55,00...

Its NZ Music Month, and to celebrate Nick is joined on the show by the Chairperson of the NZ Music Commission Greg Bonnett.  NZ Music Month is in it's 26th years and aims to promote our talented local artists - of which our country has many. Comparing NZ music to the international market, Bonnett says we punch above our weight.  We were the lead country partner in Bristol's Great Escape...

To celebrate NZ Music Month - James Irwin is in the studio every week of May for Music Time. This week Nick and James listen and debate the top hits pf the 60s and 70s. And talk the beginnings of NZ's rich music history and record labels. And what gigs are on this week? Get more info on NZ Music Month on their site linked here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council is set to cut $650,000 of social and recreation funding, impacting community services and locations like swimming pools, library, arts and culture events and sports fields. Capital Football CEO Richard Reid is concerned more costs will be put on local families if the cuts go ahead.  Reid also suggests payments to the Wellington council from using sports fields is much...

EDITORIAL: Look, this one’s not going to make me popular in Wellington today, but sometimes reality doesn’t care whether we like it or not.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is right.  And deep down, I think a lot of New Zealanders know she’s right.  We cannot keep running a country where the answer to every problem is another ministry, another department, another communications team,...

For this week's Business Panel Nick Mills is joined in the studio by Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome and Rembrandt's Managing Director David Lyford. They look at decision making in business - how to keep Rembrandt excelling after 80 years, and growing the Phoenix with coaching choices and the academy. Is business doing better this year as a result? Dome and Lyford talk the old partne...

It's Friday Faceoff - Nick Mills is joined by former Wellington City Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast and broadcaster and journalist Mark Sainsbury. Prendergast discusses the success of the Phoenix Women's team who are preparing for their first grand final ever against Melbourne City tomorrow night. Then the panel debate shutting the Kāpiti Airport. Would it be better if property developers took over?...

The Ngauraunga to Petone Shared Path, Te Ara Tupua, officially opens to the public tomorrow. Transport Minister Chris Bishop joins Nick Mills to talk about the opneing. The project will provide a new walking and cycling route between Wellington and Lower Hutt and improve transport reliability and resilience along SH2 and the Hutt Valley rail line.  Bishop says the project is100 years in the m...

For Friday Sports Kick-off Nick is joined in the studio by Adam Cooper and Jason Pine, who is in Brisbane for the Magic Round. Wellington Phoenix play their grand final tomorrow night in Melbourne. They look back on the success at the semifinal in Porirua Park last weekend.  And the impact of coach Bev Priestman - who has taken this team to the first A-League final in the clubs history. Hurri...

The future of Kāpiti Airport is in the air as property developers are looking to buy the land - only if the airport is closed. Otaki MP Tim Costley joins the show this morning to discuss what is going on with the deal, and how he is trying to stop it. The airport is identified in civil defence plan as a key operational hub in a disaster. Costley says we must keep the airport open as it is a necess...

EDITORIAL: Let’s be honest now — when is enough actually enough in this city?  How long have Wellingtonians been listening to the words “Let’s Get Wellington Moving”?   Seven years? Eight years? Longer? The project was officially launched back in 2017.   Nearly a decade ago. Nearly a decade of workshops, consultations, artist impressions, reviews, counter-reviews, delays, blowouts,...

Comedian Karen O'Leary joins Nick in the studio to chat "Poneke House Party", a comedy music mashup show raising funds for the Mayoral Relief Flood Fund. The NZ International Comedy Festival and NZ Music Month partner to bring you Pōneke House Party, a night of jokes, songs and surprise special guests at Wellington’s Opera House, Sunday 17 May, 6pm. Karen joins the heavy hitting line up of stars i...